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Origin and history

The former Saint-Lazare prison, located at 107 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, has its origins in the 12th century with a leprosy founded by the Hospitallers. Ceded in 1632 to Saint Vincent de Paul, she became the mother house of the Congregation of the Mission. From the 17th century it served as a prison for specific categories: sons of families, debauched wives, alienated or undisciplined priests. During the Revolution, it was a place of political imprisonment, especially during the Terror, where 165 prisoners were executed in 1794.

In the 19th century, the prison was renovated by architect Louis-Pierre Baltard, who built a chapel and infirmary in 1834. She then became a prison for women, intimately linked to the regulation of Parisian prostitution, with sections dedicated to prostitutes "unsuspected" and young girls placed in paternal correction. In 1857 it housed about 1,300 inmates, divided into three sections: women prisoners, prostitutes, and protected minors. The custody of the inmates was entrusted to the Sisters of Marie-Joseph from 1849.

The prison closed in 1927 and was partially demolished in 1930, leaving room for a "health house" for women until 1955. In 1961, it became an outbuilding of the Lariboisière Hospital under the name of Saint-Lazare Hospital, before closing permanently in 1998. Today, only Baltard's chapel and infirmary remain, classified as historical monuments in 2005. The site has been redesigned with cultural equipment, including the Françoise-Sagan media library, which was inaugurated in 2015.

Saint-Lazare marked popular culture, inspiring works such as Les Mystères de Paris by Eugene Sue or the song À Saint-Lazare by Aristide Bruant. She welcomed famous female prisoners such as Mata Hari, Louise Michel, or Germaine Berton, as well as revolutionary prisoners such as André Chénier and the Marquis de Sade. Its history reflects the prison, medical and social evolutions of Paris, from the Ancien Régime to modernity.

The architecture of the site, characterized by Baltard buildings and subsequent renovations, bears witness to its complex past. The 17th century crypts, partially preserved until 1971, and the currency of necessity issued at the beginning of the 20th century illustrate its historical diversity. Today, the historic square houses public facilities, perpetuating its vocation as a place for the Parisian community.

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